Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Magic Loaf Sandwich

A year or so ago I took a vegetarian cooking class put on by members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. One thing the SDA has opened my eyes to is the wonder of the Dinner Loaf. Loaves seem to me to be especially emblematic of vegetarian Adventist cuisine (that and Loma Linda and Worthington brand canned "meats").

The teacher gave us all a nifty handout showing how we could create our own "Entree Loaf" by choosing one item from each category. Because I apparently have nothing better to do today (and it's 100 degrees outside and I don't want to move), I have recreated this handy form online.

To make my Magic Loaf I chose cooked crimson lentils, oat bran, almonds, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, and sage. I also had some leftover extra firm tofu in my fridge, so I crumbled it and threw it in as well.

Of course, one of the best things about loaves is how yummy they are on bread with ketchup the next day, like a cold meatloaf sandwich. Alongside the sandwich are a pear, some peas, carrots & corn, and two little Aplets & Cotlets (from my Mother's Day stash).

Verdict: It's all over but the crusts. 4 stars.

If you find any especially good loaf combinations, post about them here. Some combinations they recommended in the class were garbanzos, oats, cashews, and bean liquid; split peas with cashews and soymilk; and mixed beans, walnuts, and vegetable juice. I'd like to try millet, red lentils, and sesame seeds...or black beans, rice, and pine nuts with spicy vegetable juice and cumin...or kasha, butter beans, and walnuts...

The Magic Loaf Studio is great! His lunch looks comforting and yuumy, like lunches from my childhood.

My mother insists that I became a vegetarian as an adolescent and never liked meat that I could identify as meat (meaning, I would eat pepperoni but not pork chops on a bone) because I was born in a Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. She thinks getting my start at a veggie place tainted me forever :-)

my husband's side of the family is Adventist, and I went through a "build a loaf" phase. My son hated them (rightly so, some of my combinations were gross!) Even the word loaf would turn him off (I started calling them "terrines" instead!) I haven't made one for awhile. Maybe it's time to try again...

I have grown up Seventh-day Adventist, and the most common loaf I've come across is Special K. It's amazing. I highly recommend it straight out of the oven, but it's even better the next day, cold with ketchup. :0)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the pine nuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of Kira's Waiting for the 7:21pm Bus Loaf make a great sandwich filling.

As a Seventh-day Adventist myself (yes I'm that too) I second the loaf as a SDA thing! We have WAY to many of those, IMHO. However, I will ask DH if he would like an old fashioned loaf and if so, use your generator to make one.

BTW, I've never seen that pick one from each catagory sheet. Interesting....

Hi- This is my first time posting. I’ve been a longtime reader but decided to finally post. I’ve never seen anyone mention natural food buying clubs and I belong to one that is great so I was curious if anyone else has heard of them? I have some (okay, a lot) info that I would be happy to pass on if anyone’s interested. Some of you have mentioned that it’s hard to get natural/organic foods in your area but buying clubs can be a great resource. If you want more info, let me know.

This is brilliant, I have been looking for a loaf recipe that looks good for awhile, I always seem to find ones that taste abit like packaging material. My dh is a carnivor so finding things for his is always a plus.Also Tami I would love to know how to set up an organic/natural food buying club. we live no where near you ( United Kingdom) Thanks Mardi

i am in love with the magical loaf studio! i can't wait to try it. i have been missing the various veggie loaves the chicago diner makes (i used to visit my parents in chicago, but they moved). yummmm.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the cashews into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Awesome lunch, Mrs. Schmoo! I myself think Aplets and Cotlets taste like fruit flavored dirt, but I realize I am a heretic and don't begrudge others their joy. That sand, on the other hand, is seriously calling my name! Oh, how I love loaves... of pretty much anything!

This is the answer to my prayers! (no pun intended :-) ). My ds has multiple food allergies so I am often at a loss of what to make. I plugged in the things he can eat and out popped a recipe that looks great! Thanks!

1) This blog is absolutely awesome, thanks for doing it and sharing your cooking! It's so inspiring and motivates me to try to cook at least 1/3 or half as well to my boys (although we're not fully vegan yet).

2) Your Loaf Studio is AMAZING!!

3) Loaves are a distinct feature of North-American SDAs, I'm an SDA but I'd never heard of them until I came to this country (I'm from Brazil). I have yet to acquire a taste for loaves - maybe your studio will help!

Maybe it is just me, but i can't seem to get the nutritional yeast to show up in any of the combinations i submit on the loaf studio ... ? Oh well, i will "eyeball it" (i.e. "dump excessive amounts in", i love this stuff!)

What a great concept! I am always at a loss to know how to make a decent vegloaf and now I have this. I have shared the link with all my friends, have generated my own first loaf and copied down the others I see here. Thanks so much for doing this.

On a side note, we (my daughter's other Girl Scout leader and I) loved the lunchbox idea so much that we turned it into an eco-awareness project for the girls to earn a badge and sent it out to everyone in the school (small town), we're hoping to seriously reduce the trash in school plus promote more healthy eating.

I'm wondering whether you've tried freezing these loaves. We're expecting our second little boy in a few months and it'd be nice to have some ready in the freezer.

Sidenote> My first loaf from The Magical Loaf Studio (red lentils, carrots, garlic, extra ketchup, wheat germ, etc.) is in the oven now, and it smells wonderful! I'll have to ask my baker hubby to bring home some rolls for sandwiches!

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the sunflower seeds into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the margarine until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of Sadie's Smashing Success make a great sandwich filling.

My combination was sesame seeds, brown lentils, brown rice (rinsed and fried on high heat before boiling, to bring out the “nutty” flavour), carrots, celery, roasted garlic, onion, a red thai chilli pepper, and liberal amounts of nutritional yeast. I spiced it with chipotle powder, onion and garlic powder, a shovel-full of zatar, some “fine herbs” mix, rosemary, ketchup, mustard, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Didn’t bother with the liquid, cuz it looked pretty good as it was (the rice was rather wet).

Aaaaand: it turned out deliciously nutty and spicy! Thank you for the awesome loaf-making program, I’ve had NO luck with tofu loaves in the past (always turned out way too soggy). This, however, is a loaf to love.

Oh, I'm ridiculously excited for the magical load studio! I recently made a lovely lentil loaf. My Sprout(4) dubbed it "SpaceCat" and they gobbled it up. While it's lovely that naming it after he and his sister's favorite things, it makes it sound a bit less veggie... Thank you for this blog!

Yes, I remember the loaf. I made one not long after the class and it was darn tasty, especially paired with an awesome vegan brown gravy that I found online. I'll type it and post it later (I don't have it bookmarked any longer.)

We are remodeling our kitchen and have to start using up all the food before the June 26 tear-out date. These loaves are REALLY going to help me clean out the pantry! Brilliant! Thanks a bunch, JSchmoo. :-)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the cashews into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of My first magical loaf! make a great sandwich filling.

Jennifershmoo, I've been reading your blog frequently for a few weeks, I first saw it last year and decided to come back to it, and after seeing this Magical loaf Studio, I had to sign up so I could thank you for the wonderful creation, 'tis amazing! ^___^ I've made two loaves already, one for dinner yester day, and one right before I went to bed, so I can eat it today. The first was wonderful, the recipe:

The second replaced oatmeal with quinoa as the grain, and I decided that though it is edble, I don't care for the texture near as must as that first savory bite of oatmeal-only loaf!Sorry for the looooong post! ;)Anyway, just had to say I'm now a new, big fan!

So, I actually grew up Seventh Day Adventist, hence the reason I grew up primarily vegetarian and have never touched a bit of pork or other 'unclean' meats in my life. My mother is still a practicing SDA. It was so great to go to potluck as a kid and know that it was all safe and meat free, which was a rarity.. Ahh...

I'm not sure what the rest of your ingredients were, but it sounds like you need more "binder", something that will help it hold together. And yes, it helps if the lentils/beans are very soft so you can mash everything up together.

Like I mentioned, I can't vouch for every loaf combination, so sometimes you might have to make adjustments as you go, throwing in more liquid or binder or carb (some of the carbs act as binders, too, especially breadcrumbs and oats). Lentils and kasha sound great, though!

I love this recipe and have used it frequently over the years. It originated at Weimar Institute (an SDA health and wellness center in California) and is published in their vegan cookbook. It's one of our favorites on a Yahoo group I moderate - http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/Christian-Vegan-Cooking

Believe it or not, years ago I this recipe with my home ec students at KHS. Thanks for sharing! I love the form you created (and I believe the Cream of Wheat would be uncooked and a dry addition to the recipe). :)

Here was our dinner from last night along with boiled potatoes tossed in unsweetened soy yogurt and green garlic. I also roasted carrots, onions and celery which is what my Mom used to put along side her meatloaf.

Next time I make this I'll cook the lentils longer to make them mushier and may use more soy flour. The loaf lost it's loaf like qualities when sliced.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the olive oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of Pick One from Column A Loaf make a great sandwich filling.

I made a loaf for the first time and I was super pleased with the results, especially in sandwiches the next day. I used: cooked split peas (which were boiled with cilantro sprigs, 2 slightly crushed garlic cloves and a bay leaf), wheat germ, walnuts, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, jalepeno, veggie broth, cumin, nutritional yeast, curry, afoestida (sp?), fresh cilantro and a dash of dried coriander, Bragg's and vegan non-hydrogenated margarine.

My hubby and I both liked it. Quite good with cilantro chutney, cucumber and avoado on toasted french bread the next day.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a loaf pan or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Grind the walnuts into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the vegetable oil until soft. Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny. Add more liquid or binder/carbohydrate as needed.

Press mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

I made Erica's loaf the other night and it tasted really good but it didn't really turn out loaf-like, which we would have preferred. It was more spoonable. I only used about a half cup of veg broth because it seemed like it was sticking together pretty good. I also only used the heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed, should I have used more? It was still very tasty and I will most likely make it again but would like it to stick together more. Any suggestions?

If you like your loaf to be firmer, make it in a 9x13 pan instead of a regular loaf pan (like you bake bread in). The loaf gets crispier that way. I grew up eating this kind of food and my mom rarely made a loaf in a loaf pan. I made up and made one of these loaves - it was way too squishy. Next time I will make it in the flat pan. Also, if you like really crispy loaf, make it in muffin tins. Meat eaters really prefer these - at least in my family.

I just discovered your site recently, and even though I dont' have any kids (yet, perhaps) it's a topic that fascinates me. I'm working on a documentary about school lunches and decided reading this is great research. Also, the loaf generator is BRILLIANT and I'm dying to try the recipe :)

I tried my Terrific Tere Loaf (or Terrific Loaf a-La Tere, I can't decide) and it was *fantastic*.I've tried veggie loaves in the past and they were all a little dry--this one had the perfect consistency, flavour, and was so moist!! I was SO impressed, and will definitely be making more of these and experimenting.Here is what I used:

I served it with boiled potatoes, broccoli and vegetarian gravy (I used the Mushroom Miso recipe from May All Be Fed by John Robbins). I cooked the kasha and oatmeal, and chopped all my vegetables in the morning, so preparation was pretty quick, although there are probably combinations that would be a lot quicker to make.Thanks Jennifer!

hi Jennifer, i came across your blog through slashfood's article at http://www.slashfood.com/2006/07/30/the-vegan-loaf-generator-redux/

i used to be a vegan for 12 years, and so i appreciate the resources you have on your blog, which remind me of my previous healthier lifestyle. incidentally, i am an Adventist, so you can understand the influences of my past vegan practice. i've linked your blog to my piegirl.blogspot.com and you might be interested to see a link there to www.cookingcute.com which features a collection of bento meals.

i will be sharing your blog with my sister, who has two school-going children. thanks for sharing!

Jennifer, I've noticed you do alot of combination soups. Can you do a soup generator?? I just came across your site yesterday and I trying to get caught up with you. I read until 4am last night! I can't wait to be current and order the cookbook!!Anyhow, soup generator = Mmm Mmm Good!

This year it was just me and my daughter for Christmas, so I was free to make anything without comments from my husband.

I had tried various loaf recipies with varying degrees of success. Then, yesterday morning, I found your amazing Web site!

So I just checked off ingredients that I had on hand, and it generated a recipe for me! I had some burger crumbles, but only 1 cup, and I needed two, so I used one cup of burger crumbles and one cup of firm tofu, cashews, oatmeal, flax meal, onions, carrots, garlic...mmmmmmm! It was yummy!

I served it with vegan "turkey" gravy, cranberry sauce, veggies, and potatoes.

I also made a sweet potato pie. I couldn't find a recipe, so I adapted a vegan pumpkin pie recipe. It smelled and looked fabulous. It had a nice "skin" on top and even browned nicely. Unfortunately, my daugher and I had to step out unexpectedly, and we neglected to secure the pie. When we returned, there was no longer even a crumb left of the pie, so I'm sure that it was delicious, at least to the two dogs who had access to the kitchen. :-(

I'm a SDA too and I LOVE loaf! What a wonderful Sabbath lunch, praise the LORD! I'm a little new to the kitchen and I'm just wondering how much dry beans equals two cups cooked beans. May the Lord continue to bless you through your ministry.

Ha! this is great and making me hungry. As a kid growing up in the SDA church and school, I ate a lot of these - usually at my grandparents! Now that I am a vegetarian, why do I never make them?? It is time!

I couldn't find an email or contact form link so must post here.I used your magic loaf idea to create my own with a less vegan influence. I also included a fill in blank for each ingredient category so folks can fill in their own. I acknowledged you and posted a link back to your magic meat loaf page.My website is not high traffic - I just did this for myself and friends mostly.You can find it at http://www.jeankorte.ca/jk-loafRecipeMaker.php

i tried to read all the comments but i may have missed this. any directions for the best way to freeze loafs or if they freeze well? i love love love this loaf generator and have been making super yummy loafs with it. i am finding when i use quinoa i need extra binder and so far i always use flax meal for my binder.

Hey this Magic loaf generators is a great idea. Was doing research for an article and found it. Liked it so much I've linked it (and therefore your blog) plus your book off this article: http://www.ehow.com/how_5671610_make-vegetarian-dinner-loaf.html Happy Loafing :)

I love love love your magic loaf site. I tried my first recipe tonight, with slight variations, and I think it's ridiculously delicious. Looking forward to packing my son's lunch with it for preschool (where they gave me my first bento box; they like to encourage parents to use re-useables and they like the laptop lunches brand b/c the teacher only has to open one lid).

Here's how my recipe ended up, based on what I had in the cupboard, and my tendency to increase herbs/spices:

Oh ! this is a GREAT web-site ! Thank you. I am an SDA but it hard to find a vegen loaf that I can tolerate. Your site has come to my rescue. Boy, putting uncooked cream of wheat (I used malt o'Meal) it makes the texture real nice. Neat new combinations. thank You.

So when the recipe calls for 1 cup cooked grain, does that mean I measure 1 cup dry grain and cook it? Or cook about 1/2 cup dry grain to make 1 cup prepared grain? And approximately how much does this recipe make? I want to make it in mini loaf pans and freeze them for individual meals. Thanks!

It means 1 cup of grain that has already been cooked. So cook some grain and measure out 1 cup and you've got it. It makes one loaf pan, probably 4 or 5 mini loaves. And the loaves usually freeze well, too.

Hi.I absolutely love your Magic Box Loaf!I am wondering why whole wheat flor is not given as as option for the flours. I have used it several times as that is what I have had on hand.Thank you Michelle

After searching the web for almost two hours to find a veggie burger/loaf recipe with ingredients that I had on hand... I came across your loaf generator! Thank you so much for taking the time to program that! I am presently eating my lentil loaf with salad. SOOOOO good!! I have bookmarked your page and will return.

Nancy -Brilliant! ...create your own loaf. We are vegan and we have so many people who have difficulty creating their own loaf to cook for dinner. What a marvelous way to show how to create a dinner loaf that has all your protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, amino acids all included. Thank You so much for this information.

Hey, I want to make a loaf for christmas.How many people feeds one recipe? Is the recipe for one big loaf? Or should I double(or quadruple) it to feed 4 people?Thanks alot for this!!Greeting from germany